Essential hypertension treated with ACE inhibitors: Cilazapril and enalapril

A double blind study was conducted in 40 adult male and females patients with essential hypertension; during 2 weeks a placebo capsule was administered and no antihypertensive drugs. Afterwards they were divided in 2 groups of 20 patients each; one received 2.5 to 5 mg/day of cilazapril and the other one received 10 to 20 mg day of enalapril. In general terms blood pressure significantly diminished with both drugs after the second week of treatment (p < 0.001), heart rate did not change during the study (p > 0.20). Adverse events were minimal and similar in both groups, being the more frequent: headache, cough and thoracic pain. No changes were observed in the clinical laboratory reactive pre and posttreatment test.